Machine-to-Machine (M2M) devices are expected to be added to wireless networks in large numbers over the next few years. Their patterns of operation are typically different from the phones, smartphones and personal computing devices that currently dominate in terms of their proportion of use of the wireless networks. Many of the M2M terminals will operate for short periods of time, sending small amounts of data infrequently. Some will remain in one fixed location. In order to save power, M2M terminals may not be continuously registered on the network, which means that they may not be reachable by direct calling. In many cases however they will be listening to the base station and should be able to receive broadcast messages.
There is also a need to communicate with large numbers of M2M devices, often sending them the same information in order to manage and control them. However, because of the number of devices, present communication techniques may be problematic in their excessive use of network resources. In addition, M2M devices may not always be registered on the network, which gives rise to the technical challenge of how to address M2M devices that are not currently registered.
One way to make an M2M device available for calling is for it to wake up and register on the network periodically. However, this can be wasteful of battery power at the terminal and when large numbers of M2M devices connect and register, the traffic on the network will be substantial just for them checking to see if a there is a message waiting. Despite this the polling will be still be infrequent enough to delay communication with a terminal from the network.
Communicating with M2M devices on an individual basis uses a significant amount of network capacity and the signaling overhead is high relative to the small amount of payload data.
Therefore there is a need for a method and apparatus for wireless communication with machine-to-machine devices that is not subject to the above limitations.
This background information is provided for the purpose of making known information believed by the applicant to be of possible relevance to the present technology. No admission is necessarily intended, nor should be construed, that any of the preceding information constitutes prior art against the present technology.